FOOTBALL: Former Grantham King’s School students wins prestigious American award

Merrimack Warriors' All-Americans duo.

A former King’s School student has had a prestigious honour bestowed on him in the USA.

Twenty-one-year-old Joe Briers received the 2015 All-American college sports award last week, one of only 33 made to boys in soccer across the whole of the USA.

Joe won a scholarship to play football and major in business studies at Merrimack College, near Boston, Massachusetts, three years ago.

Following his National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) All-East Region selections earlier this week, ‘junior’ Joseph Briers was named an NSCAA All-American last Thursday evening.

Joe landed on the NSCAA All-American Third Team after being an All-East Region First Team honoree. He also received Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Region and Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team distinctions.

Joe set a myriad of personal bests during his junior campaign. One of three team captains, he set career highs in goals (6), assists (4) and points (18), emerging as one of Merrimack Warriors’ top offensive threats as a central defender. He anchored a backline that allowed less than a goal per game, finishing as one of the top defences in the NE-10.

Joe has been playing football since the age of seven, initially with a Barrowby, and by eight years old he had joined the Nottingham Forest Development Centre. This continued for seven years until he joined Boston United under-14s in the 2008/09 season. Joe also played for Lincolnshire County FA under-16s.

Joe progressed with Boston United Youth and Reserve Team and also Lincolnshire County FA under-18s. In addition, he Joe also signed up with Grantham Town first team.

During Joe’s 2011/12 season with Boston United Youth Team, they were successful in getting to the third proper round in the FA Youth Cup.

Also receiving the award was Warriors team-mate Augusto Silva as the pair became only the sixth and seventh Merrimack student-athletes, respectively, to be named All-Americans from the men’s soccer team. It was also the first time that more than one Warriors player was named in the same season.

Joe, Augusto and the other All-Americans and their accomplishments were celebrated and recognised at the NSCAA All-America lunchon in Baltimore on Saturday.